Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the
124th emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the wi ...
, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife,
Empress Kōjun
, born , was a member of the Imperial House of Japan, the wife of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and the mother of Shigeko Higashikuni, Princess Sachiko Hisa-nomiya, Kazuko Takatsukasa, Atsuko Ikeda, the Emperor Emeritus Akihito, Prince Masahit ...
, had two sons and five daughters; he was succeeded by his fifth child and eldest son,
Akihito
is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide.
Bor ...
. By 1979, Hirohito was the only monarch in the world with the title "emperor". He was the longest-reigning historical Japanese emperor and one of the
longest-reigning monarchs in the world.
Hirohito was the
head of state under the
Meiji Constitution during
Japan's imperial expansion,
militarization
Militarization, or militarisation, is the process by which a society organizes itself for military conflict and violence. It is related to militarism, which is an ideology that reflects the level of militarization of a state. The process of milit ...
, and involvement in
World War II. Japan waged a war across Asia in the 1930s and 40s in the name of Hirohito, who was revered as a god.
After
Japan's surrender, he was not prosecuted for
war crimes, as
General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was ...
thought that an ostensibly cooperative emperor would help establish a peaceful
Allied occupation, and help the U.S. achieve their postwar objectives.
His role during the war remains controversial. On 1 January 1946, under pressure from the Allies, the Emperor formally renounced his divinity.
The
Constitution of Japan
The Constitution of Japan (Shinjitai: , Kyūjitai: , Hepburn: ) is the constitution of Japan and the supreme law in the state. Written primarily by American civilian officials working under the Allied occupation of Japan, the constitution ...
of 1947 declared the Emperor to be a mere "symbol of the State ... deriving his position from the will of the people in whom resides sovereign power."
In Japan, reigning emperors are known only as "the Emperor". Hirohito is now referred to in Japanese by his
posthumous name, Shōwa, which is the name of
the era coinciding with his reign.
Early life
Hirohito was born in Tokyo's Aoyama Palace (during the reign of his grandfather,
Emperor Meiji
, also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figure ...
) on 29 April 1901, the first son of 21-year-old
Crown Prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
Yoshihito (the future
Emperor Taishō) and 17-year-old Crown Princess Sadako (the future
Empress Teimei
, born , was the wife of Emperor Taishō and the mother of Emperor Shōwa of Japan. Her posthumous name, ''Teimei'', means "enlightened constancy".
Biography
Sadako Kujō was born on 25 June 1884 in Tokyo, as the fourth daughter of Duke Michit ...
). He was the grandson of Emperor Meiji and
Yanagihara Naruko. His childhood title was Prince Michi.
Ten weeks after he was born, Hirohito was removed from the court and placed in the care of Count
Kawamura Sumiyoshi
Count , was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Kawamura's wife Haru was the aunt of Saigō Takamori.
Biography
A native of Satsuma, Kawamura studied navigation at Tokugawa bakufu naval school at Nagasaki, the Nagasaki Naval Training Cente ...
, who raised him as his grandchild. At the age of 3, Hirohito and his brother
Yasuhito were returned to court when Kawamura died – first to the imperial mansion in
Numazu, Shizuoka, then back to the Aoyama Palace.
In 1908 he began elementary studies at the
Gakushūin
The or Peers School (Gakushūin School Corporation), initially known as Gakushūjo, is a Japanese educational institution in Tokyo, originally established to educate the children of Japan's nobility. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2002)"Gakushū-i ...
(Peers School). During 1912, at age 11, Hirohito was commissioned into the
Imperial Japanese Army as a Second Lieutenant and in the
Imperial Japanese Navy as an Ensign. He was also bestowed with the Grand Cordon of the
Order of the Chrysanthemum
is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the Collar of the Order was added on 4 January 1888. Unlike its European counterparts, the order may be conferred posthumously.
Apart f ...
. When his grandfather,
Emperor Meiji
, also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figure ...
, died on 30 July 1912, Hirohito's father,
Yoshihito, assumed the throne.
Crown Prince era
On 2 November 1916, Hirohito was formally proclaimed Crown Prince and
heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
. An
investiture ceremony was not required to confirm this status.
Overseas travel
From 3 March to 3 September 1921 (Taisho 10), the Crown Prince made official visits to the
United Kingdom,
France, the
Netherlands,
Belgium,
Italy and
Vatican City. This was the first visit to Western Europe by the Crown Prince. Despite strong opposition in Japan, this was realized by the efforts of elder Japanese statesmen (
Genrō) such as
Yamagata Aritomo
'' Gensui'' Prince , also known as Prince Yamagata Kyōsuke, was a senior-ranking Japanese military commander, twice-elected Prime Minister of Japan, and a leading member of the ''genrō'', an élite group of senior statesmen who dominated Ja ...
and
Saionji Kinmochi.
The departure of Prince Hirohito was widely reported in newspapers. The
Japanese battleship ''Katori'' was used and departed from
Yokohama
is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of ...
, sailed to
Naha,
Hong Kong,
Singapore,
Colombo,
Suez,
Cairo
Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metro ...
, and
Gibraltar
)
, anthem = "God Save the King"
, song = "Gibraltar Anthem"
, image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg
, map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe
, map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green
, mapsize =
, image_map2 = Gibra ...
. It arrived in
Portsmouth two months later on 9 May, and on the same day they reached the British capital
London. He was welcomed in the UK as a partner of the
Anglo-Japanese Alliance
The first was an alliance between Britain and Japan, signed in January 1902. The alliance was signed in London at Lansdowne House on 30 January 1902 by Lord Lansdowne, British Foreign Secretary, and Hayashi Tadasu, Japanese diplomat. A dipl ...
and met with
King George V and Prime Minister
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor, (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. He was a Liberal Party politician from Wales, known for leading the United Kingdom during ...
. That evening, a banquet was held at
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ha ...
and a meeting with George V and
Prince Arthur of Connaught. George V said that he treated his father like Hirohito, who was nervous in an unfamiliar foreign country, and that relieved his tension. The next day, he met
Prince Edward (the future Edward VIII) at
Windsor Castle, and a banquet was held every day thereafter. In London, he toured the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It documen ...
,
Tower of London
The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...
,
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694 to act as the English Government's banker, and still one of the bankers for the Government o ...
,
Lloyd's Marine Insurance,
Oxford University, Army University, and
Naval War College
The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associat ...
. He also enjoyed theater at the
New Oxford Theatre
Oxford Music Hall was a music hall located in Westminster, London at the corner of Oxford Street and Tottenham Court Road. It was established on the site of a former public house, the Boar and Castle, by Charles Morton, in 1861. In 1917 the music ...
and the Delhi Theatre. At
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
, he listened to Professor Tanner's lecture on "Relationship between the British Royal Family and its People" and was awarded an
honorary doctorate degree.
He visited
Edinburgh,
Scotland, from the 19th to the 20th, and was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws at the
University of Edinburgh. He stayed at the residence of
John Stewart-Murray, 8th Duke of Atholl
John George Stewart-Murray, 8th Duke of Atholl, (15 December 1871 – 16 March 1942), styled Marquess of Tullibardine until 1917, was a British soldier and Unionist politician.
Early life
Styled Marquess of Tullibardine from birth, he was born ...
, for three days. On his stay with Stuart-Murray, the prince was quoted as saying, "The rise of
Bolsheviks
The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...
won't happen if you live a simple life like Duke Athol."
In Italy, he met with King
Vittorio Emanuele III
Victor Emmanuel III (Vittorio Emanuele Ferdinando Maria Gennaro di Savoia; 11 November 1869 – 28 December 1947) was King of Italy from 29 July 1900 until his abdication on 9 May 1946. He also reigned as Emperor of Ethiopia (1936–1941) and K ...
and others, attended official banquets in various countries, and visited places such as the fierce battlefields of
World War I.
Regency
After returning to Japan, Hirohito became
Regent of Japan (
Sesshō) on 25 November 1921, in place of his ailing father, who was affected by mental illness. In 1923 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the army and Commander in the navy, and army Colonel and Navy Captain in 1925.
During Hirohito's regency, many important events occurred:
In the
Four-Power Treaty
The was a treaty signed by the United States, Great Britain, France and Japan at the Washington Naval Conference on 13 December 1921. It was partly a follow-on to the Lansing-Ishii Treaty, signed between the U.S. and Japan. This was a treaty ...
on Insular Possessions signed on 13 December 1921, Japan, the United States, Britain, and France agreed to recognize the status quo in the Pacific. Japan and Britain agreed to end the
Anglo-Japanese Alliance
The first was an alliance between Britain and Japan, signed in January 1902. The alliance was signed in London at Lansdowne House on 30 January 1902 by Lord Lansdowne, British Foreign Secretary, and Hayashi Tadasu, Japanese diplomat. A dipl ...
. The
Washington Naval Treaty
The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was a treaty signed during 1922 among the major Allies of World War I, which agreed to prevent an arms race by limiting naval construction. It was negotiated at the Washington N ...
limiting warship numbers was signed on 6 February 1922. Japan withdrew troops from the
Siberian Intervention
The Siberian intervention or Siberian expedition of 1918–1922 was the dispatch of troops of the Entente powers to the Russian Maritime Provinces as part of a larger effort by the western powers, Japan, and China to support White Russian fo ...
on 28 August 1922. The
Great Kantō earthquake
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
devastated Tokyo on 1 September 1923. On 27 December 1923,
Daisuke Namba
was a Japanese student who tried to assassinate the Crown Prince Regent Hirohito in the Toranomon Incident on December 27, 1923.
Family and early life
Daisuke Nanba was born to a distinguished family. His grandfather was decorated by the Emper ...
attempted to assassinate Hirohito in the
Toranomon Incident, but his attempt failed. During interrogation, he claimed to be a
communist and was executed.
Marriage
Prince Hirohito married his distant cousin
Princess Nagako Kuni, the eldest daughter of
Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni
was a member of the Japanese imperial family and a field marshal in the Imperial Japanese Army during the Meiji and Taishō periods. He was the father of Empress Kōjun (who in turn was the consort of the Emperor Shōwa), and therefore, the mate ...
, on 26 January 1924. They had two sons and five daughters
(see
Issue
Issue or issues may refer to:
Publishing
* ''Issue'' (company), a mobile publishing company
* ''Issue'' (magazine), a monthly Korean comics anthology magazine
* Issue (postal service), a stamp or a series of stamps released to the public
* '' ...
).
The daughters who lived to adulthood left the imperial family as a result of the American reforms of the Japanese imperial household in October 1947 (in the case of Princess Shigeko) or under the terms of the
Imperial Household Law
is a statute in Japanese law that governs the line of imperial succession, the membership of the imperial family, and several other matters pertaining to the administration of the Imperial Household.
In 2017, the National Diet changed the law ...
at the moment of their subsequent marriages (in the cases of Princesses Kazuko, Atsuko, and Takako).
Ascension
On 25 December 1926, Hirohito assumed the throne upon the death of his father,
Yoshihito. The Crown Prince was said to have received the succession (''senso'').
[Varley, H. Paul, ed. (1980). '' Jinnō Shōtōki ("A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa" translated by H. Paul Varley)'', p. 44. _distinct_act_of_''senso''_is_unrecognized_prior_to_[ _distinct_act_of_''senso''_is_unrecognized_prior_to_Emperor_Tenji;_and_all_sovereigns_except_Empress_Jitō">Jitō_
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